| Criteria | Scholarly Journals | General Interest | Popular Magazines | Trade Publications | Sensational Publications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | To inform, report, or make available original research to the rest of the scholarly world; to debate, challenge, and discuss meaning | To provide general information to a wide, interested audience | Primary purpose is to produce a profit, entertain, persuade or inform the general public | Primary purpose is to provide news and information to people in a particular industry or profession | To arouse curiosity and interest by stretching and twisting the truth. Outrageous, startling headlines are used to create interest |
| Format | Serious format and longer word count or page length; preceded by an abstract Note: ensure that the abstract is supplied by the author |
Articles of varying length, may contain graphics or links; no abstract | Glossy and slick in print; articles can be long but most are short | Attractive print format | Produced in a cheap, newspaper format (print) |
| Language | Uses terminology, jargon, and the language of the covered discipline; reader is assumed to have a similar background | Uses language appropriate for an educated readership; does not emphasize a specialty but does assume a certain level of education | Uses simple language in order to meet a minimum educational level | Language of practitioners in the industry or profession; focuses on practical topics of interest to practitioners | Contain language that is simple, easy-to-read and understandable. An inflammatory, sensational style is often used |
| Sources | Cite sources with footnotes and/or bibliographies; database record may indicate # of times article was cited | Occasionally cite sources, usually in-text as opposed to in bibliography | Sources for information are rarely provided | Not extensively documented, provide few footnotes, and rarely include bibliographies | Rarely cite sources of information |
| Authors | Written by and for scholars or researchers in the field, discipline, or specialty | Written by staff, scholars, or free-lance writers | Written by publication staff or free-lance writers | Written by practitioners or educators within the industry or profession | Articles written by freelance writers or by staff |
| Publishers | Generally published by a professional organization or a scholarly press | Generally published by commercial enterprises for profit; widely distributed | Published for profit | Most often published through a professional association, although can be published by for-profit corporations | Published for profit |
| Graphics | May contain graphs and charts to illustrate the article | Photographs, illustrations, and graphics to enhance the publication | Contains photographs, illustrations, and drawings to enhance their image | Color graphics and photographs are similar in nature to the popular magazines | Contain melodramatic photos |
| Examples | Harvard Business Review
JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association American Economic Review Modern Fiction Studies Tetrahedron Journal of Communication |
Atlantic Monthly
Scientific American Time The Economist National Geographic Newsweek Ms.
|
Ladies Home Journal
Hispanic Sports Illustrated Ebony Saveur The Advocate Texas Monthly
|
Editor & Publisher
MacWorld Industry Week Stores Broadcasting & Cable Publishers’ Weekly
|
Globe
National Examiner Star National Inquirer |